There are many reasons why I always end up going to Diner. The most important of which include: proximity to my apartment, pork chops, good wine, the fact that at any given time at least one person I know works there, neighboring oyster bar / store with local organic / artisenal / hippy / homemade interesting food items for sale like someone's dad's beef jerky and ginger ice cream and pizzas, cheese plate, did I say pork chops?, the perfect burger, lovely simple soups, cute bathrooms.

Ok, I'm sorry, I got carried away. This isn't my food blog. But I did have a point. The diner people have just started putting out a journal called, oddly enough, Diner Journal. It's cute. My favorite part is the scans of waiters' notes on the specials. Caroline Fidanze, their chef, and Elizabeth Schula, the pastry chef, compiled a nice collection of seasonal recipes including pork chops and pork stew. Yum. There are also articles on hot sauce and pickle making and local farms who supply Diner with some of their ingredients. Fall 2006 is out now and Winter 2007 is at the printer. Email Diner for information or drop by the restaurant. Also check out the blog by their grocery buyer for funny food tips and notes.